FIRST TIME BUYERS’ GUIDE TO HOME INSURANCE
Making sense of home insurance
Buying your first home is exciting — but it can also be overwhelming. From sorting your mortgage and deposit to understanding legal fees and insurance options, there’s a lot to get your head around.
This quick guide breaks down the essentials of home insurance to help make the journey easier.
Understanding the Types of Cover
Before you buy home insurance, it helps to know what type of cover you need. This will generally be one of the following:
Protects the structure of your home — walls, roof, windows, doors, and permanent fixtures like kitchen units and bathroom suites. It also includes features like driveways, paths, gates, and boundary walls.
If you have a mortgage, your lender will usually require you to have buildings insurance.
Covers your personal belongings — the things you’d take with you if you moved house. This includes furniture, clothing, tech, jewellery, and household items.
At Homeprotect, our contents cover includes possessions in the garden or outbuildings as standard. For valuables you regularly take outside the home — like laptops or bikes — consider adding optional Personal Possessions cover.
Combined Buildings and Contents Insurance
Most people choose combined cover, as it’s usually cheaper and simpler to manage than two separate policies. If you need to make a claim, you’ll only deal with one insurer.
Choosing the Right Cover Amount
Buildings Sum Insured
Make sure your buildings cover reflects the cost to rebuild your home — not its market value. Our online quote journey includes a built-in Rebuild Cost Calculator powered by BCIS (Building Cost Information Service) to help estimate this.
Note: The calculator doesn’t apply if your home is listed, has non-standard materials, or was built before 1720.
Contents Sum Insured
This is the total amount you’d need to replace your contents after a major loss. Make an inventory of your belongings and update your cover as your needs change.
High-Value Items
Items worth £1,500 or more — like jewellery, bikes, or tech — need to be listed individually to ensure they’re fully covered, especially if you want accidental damage or cover away from home.
For High-Risk Items (like watches or artwork) worth less than £1,500, we cover up to £5,000 in total as standard.
Optional Extras to Consider
Accidental Damage
Covers sudden, unexpected damage like spills, breakages or DIY mishaps. Available for both buildings and contents.
Note: We don’t cover pet damage.
Learn more about accidental damage
Home Emergency Cover
All Homeprotect policies include Basic Home Emergency as standard, covering emergencies like blocked drains, electrical failure, or broken locks.
Upgrade to Full Home Emergency for cover on things like boiler breakdowns, roof damage and hotel accommodation if your home becomes uninhabitable.
Learn more about home emergency cover
Family Legal Protection
Gives you access to a legal advice helpline and covers legal costs (up to £25,000 or £50,000 depending on your cover level) for things like disputes with neighbours, unfair dismissal claims, or faulty goods.
Learn more about legal expenses
Key Protection
Optional cover for lost, stolen or broken home, car or office keys. Includes locksmith costs, new locks (if needed), onward travel and vehicle hire.
Learn more about key protection
Exclusions to Be Aware Of
- Damage from poor maintenance or wear and tear isn’t covered
- Flood-prone homes may have different terms or higher premiums — but Homeprotect can often still cover them
- Subsidence may require special underwriting
- Always read your Policy Wording for the full list of exclusions
Things to Watch
Our policy covers bikes stored at home, individually worth less than £1,500, as standard. For higher-value bikes, or for cover when out and about, you can list them individually.
Tips:
- Lock your bike to an immovable object with a Sold Secure Diamond-rated lock
- Register with BikeRegister and Immobilise
Outbuildings, Garages and Sheds
Buildings cover includes outbuildings — like sheds or greenhouses — as long as they’re within your property boundary. Contents in outbuildings are covered up to £2,000 as standard (can be increased).
Liability Cover
If someone is injured at your home or their belongings are damaged due to something that happens at the property, our liability cover protects you against legal claims — up to £5 million.
Common Terms Explained
New for Old
We replace damaged, lost or stolen items with new versions at today’s prices.
High Risk Items
Valuables that are attractive to thieves or easily damaged — such as jewellery, watches, collectibles or artwork.
You’ll need to list any worth £1,500+ on your policy to make sure they’re properly covered. Items under £1,500 are covered up to £5,000 in total.
Top Tips for First-Time Buyers
Compare Quotes
Use price comparison tools, but also look for good reviews and claims support.
Ask Questions
Speak to your insurer if you’re unsure. We’re here to help.
Review Annually
Your possessions and rebuild costs change. Keep your cover up to date to stay protected.
For more support, visit our Home Insurance Glossary or get in touch with our customer team.